CBSE Class 8 English Chapter 3 Pronouns

CBSE Class 8 English Class 8 Chapter 3 Pronouns

1. You already know that Pronouns are words used instead of Nouns. There are seven kinds of Pronouns.

1. Personal Pronouns
2. Reflexive/Emphasising Pronouns
3. Demonstrative Pronouns
4. Indefinite Pronouns
5. Distributive Pronouns
6. Interrogative Pronouns
7. Relative Pronouns

A Quick Recapitulation

1. Personal Pronouns are so called because they stand for three persons, viz :
   First Person : I, we, me, us, mine, ours.
   Second Person : You, yours.
   Third Person : He, she, him, her, hers, they, them, theirs, it.
2. Reflexive/Emphasising Pronouns : Myself, ourselves, yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, themselves, and itself.
3. Demonstrative Pronouns : They point out objects : this, that, these, those, such.
4. Indefinite Pronouns : They refer to persons or things in general.
   All, some, many, few, none and others. (They are always Plural.)
5. Distributive Pronouns : They refer to a number of persons or things, one at a time.
   Each, either, neither, anyone, everyone, all. (They are always Singular.)
6. Interrogative Pronouns : Pronouns used for asking questions are called Interrogative
   Pronouns. They are : who, what, which, whom and whose.
   1. Who, whom, and whose are used for questions about persons.
   2. What is used for questions about things.
   3. Which is used for asking questions about a particular person or thing.
7. Relative Pronouns : Who, whom, whose, which and that join two sentences.
   The Noun to which a Relative Pronouns refers or relates is called its Antecedent.
   1. Who is used for persons only.
   2. Which is used for animals and things without life.
   3. That is used for persons, animals and things.

Important

1. Personal Pronouns

• We use personal pronouns to refer to people, things or animals.
  Example: We want to meet the Director.
• We use I, you, he, she, it, we, you and they Before verbs as Subjects. We use me, you,him, her, it, us, you, them after verbs as objects.

Example:

Exercise-1

Fill in the blanks with the correct Pronouns to complete the following letter:-

12 September, 20___________

Dear Vivek,

Thank (1) __________ for your present and your letter. It was great fun to meet (2)________after so many years. (3)________ had not seen (4)_______since last winter. When (5)________ all met at Anil’s wedding anniversary (6)_______ really was a special occasion. Do (7)_________ remember the fun______(8) had? Do you remember meeting Pathak? (9)______was so surprised to see (10)________.There were so many familiar faces but (11) ______couldn’t talk to all of (12) ______ When can (13)_____ meet again? Let’s not leave (14)_____to chance. Let’s plan (15)______next meeting.

Bye

Sudhakar

2. Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives both express possession. Possessive Adjectives come always BEFORE Nouns. Possessive Pronouns are used Instead of a Noun.

Examples:

This book is mine. That book is yours.

The new car is ours. This dog is yours.

This pen is his. That dress is hers.

The black car is theirs.

Exercise-2

Complete the sentences with either a Possessive Pronoun or a Possessive Adjective. Write PA or PP under the word you have written

Question 1. This is my (I)(PA) room, (you) yours(PP) is on the next floor.

Answer: my (PA) , yours (PP)

Question 2. _________(they) holiday starts before ________(we).

Answer: Their ( PA) , our (PP)

Question 3. Please give us______(you) advice first, we will ask______ (he) later on.

Answer: your (PA) , his (PP)

Question 4. We will have to leave________(she) house earlier so that we can reach ___________ (you) before 10 p.m.

Answer: her (PA) ,yours (PP)

Question 5. I wish _________ (I) voice was as good as ________(she).

Answer: my (PA) , hers (PP)

Exercise-3

Underline the Pronouns in the following sentences and write down their kinds in the space given. One is donefor you:—

Question 1. I shut the gate myself. Emphasising

Answer: Emphasising

Question 2. She hurt herself. __________

Answer: Relative

Question 3. Those books belong to him. __________

Answer: personal

Question 4. What would you do if you were him? __________

Answer: personal

Question 5. That house is ours. __________

Answer: possessive

Question 6. Everyone in our class comes to school early. __________

Answer: Indefinite

Question 7. Both of them are happy with their results. __________

Answer: Distributive

Question 8. Many are poor, only a few are rich. __________

Answer: Indefinite

Question 9. To whom did you give my letter yesterday? __________

Answer: Interrogative

Question 10. This is the man whose son was kidnapped yesterday. __________

Answer: Relative

Question 11. Here is the book which I told you about. __________

Answer: Relative

Question 12. He is one of the greatest leaders that have ever been bom in India. __________

Answer: Relative

3. Agreement of the Relative Pronouns and their Antecedents

The Relative Pronoun must be of the same Number, Gender and Person as its Antecedent; as,

• The boy who was lazy was punished.
• The boy who worked hard passed the examination.
• I, who am your friend, will help you.
• I am the person that has done this.
• You, who are rich, should help the poor.
• He that is contented is happy.
• They that are wise are always humble.
• He is one of the greatest leaders that have ever been bom in India.
• This is the only one of his poems that is worth reading.

Exercise -4

Fill In The Blanks  :—

Question 1. This is the beggar ________ stole my purse.

Answer: who

Question 2. I, __________ is your king, will lead you.

Answer: who

Question 3. I am the person ___________ is to be blamed.

Answer: who

Question 4. God helps those _________help themselves.

Answer: who

Question 5. This is the horse ________ won the race.

Answer: that

Question 6. The answer______ she gave is wrong.

Answer: which

Question 7. I mean _______I say.

Answer: what

Question 8. Tears such __________angels weep burst forth.

Answer: as

Question 9. _______cannot be cured must be endured.

Answer: What

Question 10. He _______is not with me is against me.

Answer: who

Question 11. My answer is the same _________ yours.

Answer: as

Question 12. This is ________ troubles me.

Answer: what

Question 13. He is not such a clever boy ___________ you are.

Answer: as

Question 14. He is one of the greatest men___________have ever lived.

Answer: that

Question 15. He is not the same man______he has been.

Answer: that

Question 16. Listen to________ he says.

Answer: what

Question 17. He _______________ is honest shall prosper.

Answer: who

Question 18. He _________ always speaks the truth shall be respected.

Answer: who

Question 19. He is the man______ you can trust.

Answer: whom

Question 20. Who is here so rude _________ will be a slave?

Answer: as

Question 21. Blessed is he _____ has found his work.

Answer: who

Question 22. Man is the only animal ____can talk.

Answer: that

Question 23. Such a man _________ he should be honoured.

Answer: as

Question 24. Do the same _________I do.

Answer: as

Question 25. _________is done cannot be undone.

Answer: what

Exercise-5

Question 1. There was an old woman __________ lived in a hut.

Answer: who

Question 2. Unfortunately he took the road _______led in the wrong direction.

Answer: that

Question 3. I like the boy ______ temper is good.

Answer: whose

Question 4. This is the boy _______stood first in English.

Answer: who

Question 5. This is the girl_______ parents helped us.

Answer: whose

Question 6. This is the man________ courage saved us.

Answer: whose

Question 7. This is the horse ________won the race.

Answer: that

Question 8. This is the woman _____ I suspected.

Answer: whom

Question 9. This is the house ______ my grandfather built.

Answer: that

Question 10. He is one of the bravest generals ______ have ever fought in India.

Answer: that

Remember : The Pronouns, who, whom, whose, which and that, which join two sentences and refer back to the Nouns going before them, are called Relative Pronouns.

Exercise -6

Choose the correct Verb from the brackets to complete the sentences given below :—

(Remember the rule about Singular and Plural Pronouns.)

Question 1. A few of the apples______ (is/are) left, the rest______ (has/have) been eaten.

Answer: are, have

Question 2. Each apple on the plate________ been cut.(have/has)

Answer: has

Question 3. Look at the children! All ________ asleep.(are/is)

Answer: are

Question 4. Many of your sums_____ wrong. (is/are)

Answer: are

Question 5. Some of the rice______ not cooked properly. (is/are)

Answer: is

Question 6. Either of these two books ______ very interesting to read. (are/is)

Answer: is

Question 7. Nobody _______seen her for the last two days. (have/has)

Answer: has

Question 8. Both of my granddaughters_________ good in study. (is/are)

Answer: are

Question 9. Much of the land ________ lying barren. (is/are)

Answer: is

Question 10. Neither of them ________ ill, they are both lying, (is/are)

Answer: is

Exercise -7

Join together each of the following pairs of sentences by means of a Relative Pronoun :—

who, whom, whose, which, that

Question 1. This is the man. I trusted him.

Answer:

This is the man whom I trusted.

Question 2. I am the person. You sent for me.

Answer:

I am the person who You sent for me.

Question 3. Here is the book. I told you about it.

Answer:

Here is the book which I told you about.

Question 4. This is the road. It leads to the station.

Answer:

This is the road that leads to the station.

Question 5. He does his best,which should be praised.

Answer:

He does his best. He should be praised.

Question 6. The thieves were caught. They had stolen cash and jewellery.

Answer:

The thieves who were caught had stolen cash and jewellery.

Question 7. Rabindranath Tagore, whose literary works are famous,was born in Bengal.

Answer:

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Bengal. His literary works are famous.

Question 8. The boys thanked me sincerely. I had helped them solve the problem.

Answer:

The boys whom I had helped them solve the problem thanked me sincerely.

Question 9. My watch was stolen yesterday.I have not found it yet.

Answer:

My watch,which was stolen yesterday, has been found yet.

Question 10. They met the woman. Her children were hurt in the road accident.

Answer:

They met the woman whose children were hurt in the road accident.

4. Important Note : When sentences are connected to one another by who and which, you must place the connecting word immediately after the Noun to which it refers.

Examples:

1. The waiter served us who was very clumsy.
   This is a very absurd sentence.
   It should be written as :
   The waiter who served us was very clumsy.
2. That pretty little hut up on the hill which belongs to me. (wrong)
   That pretty little hut which is up on the hill, belongs to me.

Exercise -8

The following sentences are wrongly constructed. Improve them by putting who and which immediately after the nouns to which they refer:-

Question 1. I sold my house last week which was double-storeyed.

Answer:

I sold my house, ‘which’ was double-storeyed last week.

Question 2. The Principal punished all the truants who was very strict.

Answer:

The Principal, ‘who’ was very strict punished all the truants.

Question 3. The stranger surprised us who came to our house yesterday.

Answer:

The stranger ‘who’ came to our house yesterday surprised us .

Question 4. I noticed the new painting hanging on the wall which belongs to my friend.

Answer:

I noticed the new painting, ‘which’ belongs to my friend hanging on the wall.

Question 5. The girl is my sister who wrote the story of this play.

Answer:

The girl ‘who’ wrote the story of this play is my sister.